1. Field of the Invention (Technical Field)
Embodiments of the present invention relate to an apparatus and method for retrieval and storage of tubing, especially useful for oxygen-related tubing and the like.
2. Related Art
Users are often prescribed supplemental oxygen as a part of home therapy for lung or pulmonary disease or dysfunction, heart disease, low oxygen readings, post-surgery situations or cancer. Also, many users require supplemental oxygen for comfort. This supplemental oxygen is inhaled through the nose or mouth into the lungs and then diffuses into the blood stream and increases the amount of oxygen going to the cells. The majority of these users are required to use the oxygen 24 hours a day or possibly just during the night. Oxygen therapy can be delivered from large oxygen tanks, liquid oxygen tanks, or from an oxygen concentrator. The most common mode of oxygen delivery is from an oxygen concentrator.
An oxygen concentrator is an electrical device that converts 21% room oxygen into concentrated 95% oxygen that is delivered to the user (see FIG. 14). Users on continuous oxygen often utilize an oxygen humidifier (see FIG. 16) to provide humidity to the dry oxygen that is produced from the concentrator.
Durable medical equipment companies that provide home oxygen systems usually place the oxygen concentrator in the user's bedroom. Other locations where oxygen concentrators might be located are the living room, a family room or other central area of the home. If a user is in a particular room of the house where the concentrator is located and subsequently walks into another room the tubing hanging from the user's nose is dragged behind the user and lies on the floor. This tubing can be up to 100 feet in length, or more. When the user decides to return to the first room, the user has to walk over or around the lengthy feet of tubing that leads back to the concentrator. This process of walking over or around oxygen tubing lying on the floor is difficult and potentially dangerous, especially if a user is using a walker to assist his/her ambulation. Many users complain of getting their feet tangled up in the tubing.
Embodiments of the present invention comprise a method and apparatus for retrieving lengths of tubing, including remotely, thus eliminating the potential hazard of tubing obstructing or impeding movement. The present invention also comprises a method and apparatus for ensuring that too much tubing is not retrieved at once.